I bought this 78 rpm one-sided acetate disc at an antique shop in Columbus, Ohio in the 1970s. It tells the story of Connie, the Contadina boss's sweetheart, who schemes to increase sales of the company's tomato paste in Fall 1951. The shop owner told me she believed the record was of Phyllis Diller. It has a blank yellow label with the words "Contadina Connie" typed on it, and nothing else. According to Ms. Diller's autobiography, in 1951 she wrote newspaper & radio ad copy for Kahn's department store in Oakland, California. Coincidentally, Oakland is near Contadina's headquarters. Listen to this amusing commercial for Contadina (maybe a self-produced demo disc recorded at home?) and decide for yourself if "America's number-one tomato" is the one and only Phyllis Diller.

10/12/10: Ms. Diller's agent says she does not remember making this recording. Thus, we have no way to verify it.

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